The rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan, which has been upgraded to a world title fight for the vacant IBF welterweight belt, is to take place at Belfast’s Windsor Park stadium on Saturday, 13 September.
Promoters Matchroom Boxing confirmed on Thursday that the venue, which hosts the Northern Ireland international football team’s home matches, would stage the first-ever world title fight between two boxers from the island of Ireland.
The welterweight title was previously held by American Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
The first meeting between the pair on 1 March was a final eliminator for the IBF title and ended in controversial fashion with Crocker taking the win by disqualification in front of a 8,500 crowd at the SSE Arena in his native Belfast.
Limerick fighter Donovan, who had twice previously been deducted points, was thrown out at the end of the eighth round for punching after the bell.
An appeal from Donovan’s team resulted in the IBF granting a rematch which would again serve as a final eliminator for the world title but with champion Ennis moving up to the light-middleweight, the belt became vacant.
Windsor Park last hosted a boxing event in August 2018 when two-weight world champion Carl Frampton defeated Luke Jackson of Australia.
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